the fcc says that 30% to 40% of robberies in some of the biggest cities involve cell phones. in washington, d.c., they say it's 38%. in san francisco, police say it's nearly 50%. it's difficult to break out the numbers and break it down by brands, but police have confirmed that the best of apple products is a big business. they call it apple pigging. in new york city in september, the nypd reported theft of apple products was up 40% year over year, and they expect that number to rise over the holiday season. how can shoppers figure out if the devices they're buying are legitimate or stolen? apple phones have serial numbers. those can be traced, of course, if a phone was reported lost or stolen. they'll also be blocked from further use. experts actually say if you're buying used online you should ask for the serial number of the product. david? >> thanks very much, jackie. between hurricane sandy in october and the snowstorms out west over the last few days, people could have had a tough time getting out shopping over the last couple of months. how are retailers faring? well,